Make sure to include time for all SART members to discuss the impact of potential decisions on their individual organizations before making any decisions. Also consider the likely outcomes, possible outcomes, and unintended consequences of each decision and keep in mind the following questions:

See the big picture: It is important to look at how decisions will affect your SART and its responses as a whole. The decisionmaking process should honor how decisions affect the entire team including likely outcomes, possible outcomes, unintended consequences, and possible solutions.

Consider all possible solutions: When weighing options, you need to be far-sighted. A decision that appears to be a simple yes or no choice may actually have more solutions underneath the surface.

Evaluate the possibilities: Consider asking the following questions:

How much time and effort will each option take?

What can we afford to do, financially? Politically?

What options should we not pursue?

Are we missing important information?

What is the best option for us at this time?

Decide not to decide: There may be times when you will want to put off making a decision or to avoid it entirely. When faced with a difficult choice and after careful deliberation, a decision not to decide can sometimes be the way to go (e.g., it may be better to wait until the team has more information or until members have more time to consider the recommendation further).

Consensus: In a consensus, the entire team agrees on a certain course of action. In a hard consensus, everyone outwardly agrees. In a soft consensus, everyone may not agree, but team members don't openly object. Soft consensus is common, especially when the decision is not a critical one.

Voting: If you decide to vote on an issue, you'll have to determine what the minimum vote will be:

The greatest number of votes, even if it is less than half of the total.

A simple majority—a recommendation must receive more than half of the votes.

Two-thirds or more of the vote.

Don't feel tied to one or the other ways to reach a decision. You can, for example, first try to reach a hard consensus. If that is unsuccessful, then the team can vote or study the issue further.